Delaware Player Traffic Skyrockets

The merger of player pools between the states of Delaware and Nevada on Tuesday has resulted in a tremendous boost in traffic for online poker players in The First State.

Delaware’s trio of poker sites averaged single digits before shared liquidity with Nevada began. A peek at traffic numbers provided by PokerScout.com reveals that the cash game average in Delaware has skyrocketed to 110 players as of this writing.

Delaware online poker catapulted from the cellar of PokerScout’s global rankings, where it previously resided among the lowest of the 70 poker sites and networks listed, to land in 44th place. The new position finds the poker action offered collectively by Harrington Raceway, Dover Downs and Delaware Park ahead of the U.S.-facing Revolution Network, who clocks in with an average of 100 ring game players.

The Delaware/Nevada Partnership Could Revitalize the US iPoker Industry

The interstate compact was finally put into play on March 24 after an agreement was reached between the two states 13 months ago. The Multi State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) has thus far proven to be just what the doctor ordered for Delaware, providing an infusion of action on the poker tables that has revitalized the state’s ipoker regime.

At the risk of getting ahead of myself and becoming overly optimistic, let’s hope that other states that may be considering online poker legislation have taken notice. We already knew that combined player pools was the way to go in a state-by-state format, but seeing it actually happen and observing the resulting spike in player traffic gives off a sense of renewed hope for regulated online poker in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Nevada Traffic Rises Too

Evidence suggests that new players from Nevada have also logged on to partake in shared liquidity with Delawareans. Cash game player traffic has risen to a seven-day average of 170, a boost of about 13%.

WSOP.com remains the only Nevada site that that is part of the MSIGA. Real Gaming is left out of the equation, as the site operated by South Point Casino has no ties to Delaware gaming at this time. WSOP.com is a partner with 888 Holdings in Nevada, and 888 powers Delaware’s gaming sites.

What About New Jersey?

U.S. online poker players are undoubtedly waiting for New Jersey to also wade into the waters of shared liquidity as outlined by the MSIGA. An invitation was extended by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval what seems like eons ago.

Many may remember that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement released a report at the beginning of the year entitled “New Jersey Internet Gaming One Year Anniversary – Achievements to Date and Goals for the Future.” In that report, DGE Director David Rebuck stated that interstate and/or international compacts are “an important area for the future” of online poker and gambling.

The future is apparently NOW considering the success of the interstate compact thus far in just one week’s time under a soft launch. Your move, New Jersey.

Charles Rettmuller

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Charles has been an avid poker player for a number of years, both live and online. He holds a degree in journalism and previously worked as a reporter for a Chicago-based newspaper. Charles joined the PokerUpdate team in early 2012 and writes daily news articles for the site.